South Gate City Council is considering an ordinance that would end street vending as the community has known it for decades.

The requirements, set to be discussed at a Special City Council meeting on June 25th, 2023, are extremely stringent, and include:

• Vendors must apply for a business license and sidewalk vendor permit that requests legal name, date of birth, and address
• Applicant vendors must provide a copy of their social security card, driver’s license, and IRS number
• Proof of insurance of minimum $1,000,000—this insurance must cover not just the vendor but also the City of South Gate
• Description of the exact food and mobile cart to be used
• Description of the routes to be used, including daily schedule
• Proof of access to an approved and available toilet and hand-washing facility
• Roaming vendors must “move continuously except when necessary to complete a sale” and cannot come back to the same residential street until after 24 hours have passed—they cannot operate before sunrise or after sunset
• Vendors on sidewalks must provide receipt to all customers, cannot use sound amplification devices, and must have a fire extinguisher
• No stationary vending within 100 feet of a park if the City has an agreement with another operator to operate the concession stand
• Stationary vendors cannot sell within 100 feet of sport fields, playgrounds, restrooms, and concession areas
• No sidewalk selling within 25 feet of an intersection, traffic signal, or crosswalk—no selling within 45 feet of bus bench or construction zone
• No sidewalk selling within 500 feet of a farmers’ market or swap meet or a school on a school day
• Violations may result in a $1,000 fine, revocation of the permit, and confiscation/impoundment of street vendor carts

A resident who posted about the City Council meeting on social media said, “This is an attack on some of the most vulnerable people in our community—hardworking people who are just trying to make a living.”

Because the ordinance places so many limits on vendors, its passing would end street vending as the community has known it for many years.